From the Calgary Herald:
Albertans will be eligible for a free vaccine against seasonal influenza this fall and, though the shots won't protect against the H1N1 virus, experts predict a high level of interest amid the swine flu pandemic.
Alberta Health on Thursday announced an expansion of its annual flu shots--which have historically been offered to high-risk groups for free -- into an $8-million vaccination program for everyone over six months of age.
The program comes as the province prepares a separate vaccination plan for H1N1, the new influenza virus that first emerged in Mexico this spring and spread around the world.
"Although this is coming in at the same time as the H1N1 virus, this is something that was in the works for some time," said Dr. Andre Corriveau, chief medical officer of health for Alberta.
"We've decided to go ahead with that plan, even though we are dealing with something else on top of it."
Corriveau conceded the health system will face a significant increase in workload as it tries to deliver the two vaccines to all Albertans. He said the province is also drafting a communications strategy so patients understand the difference between the shots. ...more
Showing posts with label influenza. Show all posts
Showing posts with label influenza. Show all posts
Monday, July 27, 2009
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Flu shot mismatched on B virus
From the Toronto Star:
It appears there may be a partial flu shot mismatch again this year, with early data from Canada, the United States and Britain suggesting the vaccine component meant to protect against influenza B is not a match for the flu B viruses causing the most disease.
Predicting which family of influenza B viruses will dominate in a coming year – and therefore should be covered by the flu shot – is a challenge that has defied the experts in five of the last seven flu seasons, at least so far as disease patterns in North America are concerned.
The ongoing problem has prompted exploration of the idea that flu shots should be reformulated to add a second B component to a vaccine that currently protects against one family of B viruses and the two influenza A subtypes, H3N2 and H1N1.
Scientists from the U.S. Centers of Disease Control are working on a cost-benefit analysis of just such a move and are to meet Monday to begin going over the pros and cons. They plan to present their findings sometime next month to the Food and Drug Administration, which regulates vaccines in the United States.
"Historically it's obviously been difficult to predict which one's coming next," Dr. Joseph Bresee, the CDC's chief of influenza surveillance and prevention, says of the flu B viruses. ...more
It appears there may be a partial flu shot mismatch again this year, with early data from Canada, the United States and Britain suggesting the vaccine component meant to protect against influenza B is not a match for the flu B viruses causing the most disease.
Predicting which family of influenza B viruses will dominate in a coming year – and therefore should be covered by the flu shot – is a challenge that has defied the experts in five of the last seven flu seasons, at least so far as disease patterns in North America are concerned.
The ongoing problem has prompted exploration of the idea that flu shots should be reformulated to add a second B component to a vaccine that currently protects against one family of B viruses and the two influenza A subtypes, H3N2 and H1N1.
Scientists from the U.S. Centers of Disease Control are working on a cost-benefit analysis of just such a move and are to meet Monday to begin going over the pros and cons. They plan to present their findings sometime next month to the Food and Drug Administration, which regulates vaccines in the United States.
"Historically it's obviously been difficult to predict which one's coming next," Dr. Joseph Bresee, the CDC's chief of influenza surveillance and prevention, says of the flu B viruses. ...more
Monday, January 12, 2009
Fighting the flu
From CBC News:
Over the course of a normal flu season, one in ten adults and one in three children will catch influenza — the flu.
Health Canada says between 4,000 and 8,000 Canadians — mostly seniors — will die from pneumonia related to flu and many others may die from other serious complications of flu.
Still, flu awareness campaigns are helping Canadians stay healthier. Flu drugs such as Tamiflu and Relenza are easily available, although they can have their own dangers: 10 Canadians have died after taking Tamiflu, while at least 84 more have reported adverse reactions to the drug. On Nov. 29, 2006, Health Canada issued an advisory about reports of hallucinations and abnormal behaviour — including reports of self-harm — in patients taking Tamiflu. ...more
Over the course of a normal flu season, one in ten adults and one in three children will catch influenza — the flu.
Health Canada says between 4,000 and 8,000 Canadians — mostly seniors — will die from pneumonia related to flu and many others may die from other serious complications of flu.
Still, flu awareness campaigns are helping Canadians stay healthier. Flu drugs such as Tamiflu and Relenza are easily available, although they can have their own dangers: 10 Canadians have died after taking Tamiflu, while at least 84 more have reported adverse reactions to the drug. On Nov. 29, 2006, Health Canada issued an advisory about reports of hallucinations and abnormal behaviour — including reports of self-harm — in patients taking Tamiflu. ...more
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Treating the flu isn't easy
From the Owen Sound (Ont.) Times:
Early signs from this flu season suggest doctors face a vexing dilemma in treating the illness. Testing to date in Canada, the United States and Europe shows that nearly all H1N1 viruses are resistant to oseltamivir (sold as Tamiflu) and susceptible to the adamantane drugs, amantadine and rimantadine.
The inverse is true for H3N2 viruses, which are universally resistant to the adamantanes and susceptible to oseltamivir.
Given that in reality little point-of-care testing is done to determine whether a patient actually has influenza, let alone which variety of the bug is behind the illness, the resistance situation could see doctors making choices that lead to treatment failure this season.
"It definitely adds to the complexity of trying to manage influenza,'' said Dr. Maria Zambon, head of the respiratory viruses unit of Britain's Health Protection Agency. ...more
Early signs from this flu season suggest doctors face a vexing dilemma in treating the illness. Testing to date in Canada, the United States and Europe shows that nearly all H1N1 viruses are resistant to oseltamivir (sold as Tamiflu) and susceptible to the adamantane drugs, amantadine and rimantadine.
The inverse is true for H3N2 viruses, which are universally resistant to the adamantanes and susceptible to oseltamivir.
Given that in reality little point-of-care testing is done to determine whether a patient actually has influenza, let alone which variety of the bug is behind the illness, the resistance situation could see doctors making choices that lead to treatment failure this season.
"It definitely adds to the complexity of trying to manage influenza,'' said Dr. Maria Zambon, head of the respiratory viruses unit of Britain's Health Protection Agency. ...more
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